Prayers answered for family with wheelchair bound son

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)-- One family carries out their father's dying wish by giving the gift of a lifetime to another family with a wheelchair bound son.

The Rubio family has spent years trying to get proper transportation for their son. They enter contest, saved money and prayed for some kind of help.

For over 15 years, they have made do and spent a lot of time at home. However, that all changed on Wednesday when they got the gift of a lifetime from a family they didn't even know.

It was a wheelchair accessible van that previously belonged to a veteran who lost his battle with A.L.S.

"My father was a family man who loved his kids and grand-kids. My oldest son was his best friend they would go boating in the hand-made boat my dad made." said Tara Dovenbarger, daughter

Her father also had a special place in his heart for children with disabilities and wanted his van to go to a family in need after he passed.

The wish was something the family wanted to honor but didn't know where to start after their father passed.

"We contacted Superior Van and Mobility and East Tennessee Technology Access Center to help us find a family that could really use a van. They directed us to the Rubio's." said Tara.

For the Rubio's this was a prayer answered, something they hoped for since their son was only 1 year old.

Nancy Rubio explains "It was all in God's hands. His timing on this and the way he brought this amazing gift to us. It just shows that God has a plan and sometimes you just have to wait to see how it unfolds."

The van will not only help get their son around but it will open opportunities to them they've never had before.

"Having this van means the sky's the limit; we can now go to church together as a family and take a trip to the park." said Nancy

All of this made possible by the generosity of one man and a family committed to making a wish come true.

Tara said "Our family was blessed to get the van in the first place and my father wanted that blessing to be carried on to someone else because it's not everyday you get a blessed with such a big gift."

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